The Middlebury softball team opened up its season in stellar fashion by picking up a pair of wins on its first day on an outdoor diamond. The Panthers earned a 5-4 win over Buffalo State (2-3) in the opener, before downing Kalamazoo (2-3) by a 2-1 score in the second game of the day. The contests took place in Clermont, Florida, where Middlebury will be back in action on Sunday taking on Union and Wellesley.

In the first contest of 2015 against Buffalo State, the Panthers struck for four runs in the first inning. Ali Della Volpe reached on an error before Jackie Stern singled through the left side. Della Volpe advanced to third and then scored on a throwing error. Stern later scored on a throwing error, while Hye-Jin Kim crossed the plate on a single to left by Carlyn Vachow, before scoring on a single through the left side by Erin Giles.

Buffalo State scored two in the third, before the Panthers took a 5-1 lead in the fifth on an RBI ground out by Emma Hamilton, scoring Vachow.

The Bengals scored two more in the seventh, as Middlebury held on for the 5-4 win.

Kat Maehr threw the first three innings before giving way to Neve Stearns, who earned the win with four innings of relief. Maehr allowed two runs and two hits, striking out four, while Stearns gave up two runs on three hits with five strikeouts. Maddie Coneys suffered the loss, giving up four unearned runs on five hits over four innings.

Vachow finished 2-4 with two runs scored, while Giles went 2-4 in the win. Maehr reached base four times, going 2-2 with two walks and a double.

Middlebury's two runs in the second inning of the second contest against Kalamazoo were enough as the Panthers emerged with the win. Kim walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a single by Vachow. Sarah Freyre singled to plate Kim to put the visitors up 1-0. An RBI groundout from Giles scored Vachow later in the inning.

Allison Quigley gave up just one run in the fourth inning of her collegiate debut, going seven innings to earn the win, striking out eight.

Taylor Clements suffered the loss, despite allowing just two runs and four hits over seven innings of work.